Compositions containing hexadecylophosphocholine and alkylglycerols and uses thereof

ABSTRACT

Cytotoxically-effective medicaments containing hexadecylphosphocholine as active material.

Hexadecylphosphocholine is a known substance. In Pharmazie 37, 1982,pages 706-707, a lysing and fusogenic action is stated herefor. It hasnow been found that this compound also possesses an excellentanti-tumour action and, in comparison with homologous compounds, whichare described in European Application 108 565, is characterized by thefollowing surprising properties: whereas similar compounds with ashorter alkyl radical, such as for example tetradecylphosphocholine,show practically no anti-tumour action (for example, in vitro in theL1210 colony experiment or in vivo on the autochthanousmethylnitrosourea-induced mammary carcinoma of the rat), those with alonger alkyl radical, such as for example octadecylphosphocholine, areadmittedly anti-tumour effective but, at the same time, far too toxicand, therefore, not usable as medicaments. Thus, for example, in thecase of a determination of the subacute toxicity during a treatment of 5weeks at an anti-tumour effective daily dose of 77 μmole/kg. rat orally,there was obtained an extremely high mortality which was 80% of allanimals. Therefore, in spite of an anti-tumour action, the mediansurvival time in comparison with the control was shortened by 72% in thecase of octadecylphosphocholine-treated animals. In comparison thereto,in the case of hexadecylphosphocholine-treated animals, the mortalitywas lower by a half and, as a result of the absence of a chronictoxicity, it resulted in a highly significant increase of the mediansurvival time of 26% in comparison with the controls.

Thus, within the homologous alkyl compounds, hexadecylphosphocholineoccupies a surprising special position in that onlyheaxadecylphosphocholine possesses a practically useful good anti-tumouraction. Homologues with shorter alkyl radicals possess no or a much toolow anti-tumour action. Homologues with longer alkyl radicals areadmittedly effective against tumours but, at the same time, are much tootoxic. Therefore, only hexadecylphosphocholine displays a sufficientanti-tumour action in non-toxic doses.

The invention concerns medicaments which contain hexadecylphosphocholineas active material and are especially suitable for the treatment oftumours.

Such medicaments possess an outstanding cytotoxic effectiveness whichwas demonstrated not only in vivo on chemically-induced mammarycarcinoma of the rat but also in vitro on leukaemia cells in the cellculture. Furthermore, in a clinical pilot study in the case of femalepatients with mammary carcinomas, skin metastases were completely healedin the case of topical use.

It is known that hitherto no medicament for the treatment of tumours,especially of malignant tumours, was available which was satisfactory inall respects. Thus, for example, for the topical treatment of skinmetastases in patients with metastasing tumours, at present only5-fluorouracil is available. Further developments of other cytostaticshave hitherto not progressed to clinical maturity for this manner ofadministration. On the other hand, from a clinical point of view, such aconcept of palliative therapeutic use is especially desirable sincealternative concepts of treatment, such as surgical measures, radiationtherapy and systemic chemotherapy, constitute comparatively aggressivetherapy modalities. Furthermore, a considerable number of patients areavailable as potential treatment candidates for such a topicaltreatment. Thus, e.g. the proportion of mammary carcinoma patients whodisplay a skin attack amount to about 25 to 35%.

The prerequisite for topical treatment on the part of the activematerial to be used are compatibility to the skin, cytotoxiceffectiveness against tumour cells and sufficiently deep penetration.

Therefore, the object of the invention is, in the first place, toprovide a medicament which is suitable for the topical treatment oftumours. A further object of the invention is, in addition, also toprovide, in general, a medicament usable in other forms ofadministration which combines a good effectiveness against tumours withlow toxicity and is, therefore, generally usable in tumour therapy.

According to the invention, these objects are solved by a medicamentwhich is characterised in that it contains hexadecylphosphocholine asactive material.

Especially for topical administration but also for the preparation asmedicaments for other modes of administration, it has proved to beespecially advantageous to use the hexadecylphosphocholine together withat least one alkylglycerol with 3 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkylradical which can be present attached in the form of an ether group toone of the primary or secondary OH groups of the glycerol. Suchalkylglycerols increase or improve the action of thehexadecylphosphocholine synergistically. There are hereby preferablyused alkylglycerols with 3 to 9 C-atoms alone or as mixture.

Therefore, a synergistically-acting medicament which contains

(a) hexadecylphosphocholine and

(b) an alkyl glycerol of the general formula I ##STR1## in which one ofthe radicals R₁ and R₂ signifies an alkyl group with 2 to 12 C-atoms andthe other radical an H-atom, as well as possibly further usualphaarmacological additive and diluent materials, possesses especiallyfavourable actions.

Such a mixture is, in the following, also called a cascade.

The content of hexadecylphosphocholine in mg./ml. of cascade isindicated by a subsequent index in such a manner that, for example, acascade mixture which contains 5 mg./ml. of hexadecylphosphocholine isdescribed as cascade₅, a mixture with 200 mg. of hexadecylphosphocholineper ml. of cascade as cascade₂₀₀.

The preparation of alkylglycerols is known, for example, from DE-OS No.33 43 530.8.

Alkylglycerol-water mixtures which contain, for example, nonylglycerol,octylglycerol, hexylglycerol, pentylglycerol, propylglycerol andethylglycerol, are preferred. Such aqueous mixtures preferably contain 3of the said glycerol ethers, namely, a lower one (ethyl, propyl), amedium one (pentyl, hexyl) and a higher one (nonyl, octyl), whereby theamount by weight of the lower ether is about as great as the sum ofamounts by weight of the two other glycerol ethers. The amount of wateris about equal to the amount of the lower glycerol ether and amounts,for example, to half of the total amount of glycerol ethers present.Examples of such glycerol ether-water mixtures are set out in thefollowing:

    ______________________________________                                                          glycerol   glycerol                                                                             glycerol                                                    propyl     hexyl  nonyl                                               water   ether      ether  ether                                     ______________________________________                                        parts by  2       2          1      1                                         weight                                                                        ______________________________________                                                          glycerol   glycerol                                                                             glycerol                                                    ethyl      pentyl octyl                                               water   ether      ether  ether                                     ______________________________________                                        parts by  2       2          1      1                                         weight                                                                        ______________________________________                                    

The medicaments according to the invention are suitable to a specialdegree for topical administration. In order to treat skin tumours orskin metastases with this medicament, the skin regions in question arerubbed in two or three times daily with cascade₅ to cascade₂₀₀. Harmfulside effects have hitherto not been observed, not even in the case ofpatients who have been treated over a period of time of 3 months. Theremission of the skin metastases is accompanied by a normalisation ofthe skin, as could clearly be demonstrated by tissue sections. Severalpatients with skin metastases were treated in this way and a completedisappearance of the mammary carcinoma skin metastases hereby observed.

The topical treatment with the preferred agent according to theinvention in the formulation cascade₅ to cascade₂₀₀ can also be used forthe treatment of internal tumours or metastases by rubbing into largeareas of the skin. Therapeutically effective blood levels are herebyachieved by resorption through the skin. An advantage of this mode ofadministration lies in the fact that the preparations cascade₅ tocascade₂₀₀ are tolerated by the skin without problems.

This preferred type of preparation of the medicament according to theinvention in the form of solutions of cascade₅ to cascade₂₀₀ is alsowell suited for the preparation of suppositories for rectal insertion.Internal tumours or internal metastases can also be readily treated inthis way.

Another form of use of the medicaments according to the inventionconsists in the instillation into preformed body cavities. This mode ofadministration is especially suitable for pleural carcinoses, malignascites, malign pericardial discharges and bladder carcinomas. In thiscase, the hexadecylphosphocholine is used either alone or in combinationwith usual carrier and dilution agents, especially also with cascades.

For systematic administration, there comes into consideration, forexample, oral or intravenous administration.

For oral administration, hexadecylphosphocholine is used, for example,in the form of a drinking solution. As carriers there are suitable, forexample, milk, cocoa, fruit juice or drinking water. The preparation ofsuch a drinking solution takes place, for example, by dilution of aconcentrated alcoholic solution of hexadecylphosphocholine with water oranother of the previously mentioned agents. In the case of rats, dailydoses of 20, 40 and 60 mg./kg. body weight of hexadecylphosphocholineled to a complete remission of chemically induced mammary carcinomas.Hexadecylphosphocholine hereby proved to be better effective and bettercompatible than, for example1-octadecyl-2-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine. In the case of thetumour model used for these experiments, it is a question of a so-calledhard model. This means that findings obtained with this model can alsobe transmitted to the human situation.

For the intravenous administration via the intravenous infusion therapy,the hexadecylphosphocholine is expediently used in physiological commonsalt solution. Other infusion solutions can hereby also be used. Thedosage on humans for such solutions is, for example, 1-10 mg./kg. ofbody weight.

Finally, several forms of administration of the medicament according tothe invention can be used combined, whereby the especial topiccompatibility has the result that, on the one hand, a rubbing in of theskin can be combined with one of the other forms of administration.

A further carrier mixture for hexadecylphosphocholine which has provedto be especially useful consists of a mixture of about 4 parts by weightof water, 4 parts by weight of propylglycerol and 2 parts by weight ofeach of hexylglycerol and nonylglycerol.

The topical use of the medicament according to the invention in theespecially preferred form of preparation of cascade₅ to cascade₂₀₀ overa period of time of several months shows that the local toxicity islimited to an increased desquamation of the skin, similarly to the localuse of acetylsalicylic acid.

Thus, the invention makes available a new medicament for the treatmentof tumours and hereby provides not only a further anti-tumour agent butalso provides, for the first time, an agent which has also been shown tobe effective in the case of topical administration in clinicalexperiments. New possibilities for the treatment of tumour patients arehereby opened up.

For the preparation of appropriate medicaments, hexadecylphosphocholineis worked up with conventional pharmaceutical carrier materials and/ordilution agents or other adjuvant materials to pharmaceuticalcompositions or is brought into a therapeutically usable form. Thistakes place, for example, in that the hexadecylphosphocholine is mixedor homogenised together with usual carrier and/or dilution or adjuvantmaterials at temperatures between 20° and 120° C., preferably 30°-100°C., the so obtained mixture is, for the preparation of compositionswhich contain 5 to 2000 mg., preferably 10 to 500 mg. and especially 30to 400 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine, poured into hollow cells ofappropriate size or filled into capsules of appropriate size orgranulated and the pressed into tablets, possibly with the addition offurther usual adjuvant materials.

For example, in that one mixes hexadecylphosphocholine with one or moreof the following materials: starch, cellulose, lactose, formalin-casein,modified starch, magnesium stearate, calcium hydrogen phosphate, highlydispersed silicic acid, talc, phenoxyethanol, granulates the mixtureobtained, possibly with an aqueous solution which, as component,contains at least gelatine, starch, polyvinylpyrrolidone,vinylpyrrolidonevinyl acetate co-polymer and/or polyoxyethylsorbitanmonooleate, homogenises the granulate possibly with one or more of theabove-mentioned adjuvant materials and presses this mixture to tabletsor fills into capsules, whereby such tablets or capsules in each casecontain 5 to 2000 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine, or that, after theaddition of soya lecithin, as well as possibly of 0.1-0.5 parts byweight of phenoxyethanol (referred to one part by weight ofhexadecylphosphocholine), suspends hexadecylphosphocholine attemperatures between 33°-37° C. in molten hard fat and homogenises andsubsequently pours the mixture into hollow cells, whereby the dosageunit contains 5 to 2000 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine, as well as possibly0.1-0.5 parts by weight of phenoxyethanol (referred to one part byweight of hexadecylphosphocholine), or in that one homogeniseshexadecylphosphocholine at a temperature between 50° and 120° C.,preferably 50° to 100° C., possibly in the presence of one or moreemulsifiers and/or 0.1-0.5 parts by weight of phenoxyethanol (referredto one part by weight of hexadecylphosphocholine) with at least one ofthe following materials: paraffin, vaseline, aliphatic alcohol with 12to 25 C-atoms, aliphatic monocarboxylic acid with 15 to 20 C-atoms,sorbitan monopalmitate, polyoxyethylenepolyol fatty acid ester, andemulsifies the mixture obtained between 50° and 120° C. with water,possibly with the addition of a polyhydroxy lower aliphatic alcoholand/or phenoxyethanol; or in that one dissolves hexadecylphosphocholinein water or vegetable oil, possibly in the presence of 0.1-0.5 parts byweight of phenoxyethanol (referred to one part by weight ofhexadecylphosphocholine), as well as possibly in the presence of anemulsifier, at temperatures between 30°-100° C., and possibly makes upthe so obtained solution with so much water or vegetable oil that thefinal solution contains 0.05 to 10 percent by weight, preferably 0.1 to5 percent by weight, of hexadecylphosphocholine.

As emulsifiers, there come into question, for example: non-ionicemulsifiers, as well as ionic emulsifiers. In the case of non-ionicemulsifiers, it is a question of, for example, triglyceride mixtures ofsaturated vegetable fatty acids with C₈, C₁₀ and C₁₂ or of emulsifiersbased on polyaddition products of ethylene oxide, such as, for example,alkyl- and acyl-substituted polyaddition products of ethylene oxide,polyethyleneglycol fatty acid esters, reaction products of ethyleneoxide with castor oil, esters of hydrogenated castor oil fatty acidswith oxyethylated glycerol. Furthermore, it can be a question ofemulsifiers based on fatty acid amides or fatty acid condensationproducts with hydrophilic groups. As ionic emulsifiers, there come intoquestion, for example, emulsifiers based on fatty acid monoesters ofglycerol or of other polyhydroxy alcohols (Lunacera alba).

If, in the case of the above-given preparation of the medicaments, thehexadecylphosphocholine is used in the presence of a glycerol ether offormula I or of a mixture of such glycerol ethers of formula I, there isobserved a synergistic action increase of the anti-tumour action.

For this purpose, the hexadecylphosphocholine is used with 1 to 30,preferably 2 to 20 parts by weight (referred in each case to one part byweight of hexadecylphosphocholine) of at least one glycerol ether offormula I or a mixture of such glycerol ethers, as well as possibly0.5-30, preferably 1-20 parts by weight of water (also referred to onepart by weight of hexadecylphosphocholine). This mixing with theglycerol ethers can take place initially in the preparation of theappropriate medicaments but possibly also at a later stage ofpreparation.

Hexadecylphosphocholine shows, for example, a good action on7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced mammary carcinoma of the rat; aswell as on methylnitrosourea-induced mammary carcinoma of the rat.

For example, in the case of the above-mentioned experimental method, ata dose of 10 mg./kg. body weight of rat, there is achieved a cessationof growth of the tumours, at higher doses also a complete disappearanceof the growths.

The lowest already effective dose in the above-mentioned animalexperiment is, for example

5 mg./kg. orally

5 mg./kg. intravenously.

As general dose range for the action (animal experiment as above), therecomes into question, for example:

5-50 mg./kg. orally, especially 15-32 mg./kg.

5-50 mg./kg. intravenously, especially 15-32 mg./kg.

The direction of action of the compounds according to the invention iscomparable with the action of the known medicament active materialTAMOXIFEN but, in this regard, there exist the following differences:The action is stronger and of longer duration than that of TAMOXIFEN.

Indications for which the compounds of the invention come intoconsideration: mammary cancer and other kinds of human cancer.

The pharmaceutical compositions contain, in general, between 5-2000 mg.,for example 10-400 mg. of hexadecylphosphocholine.

The administration can take place, for example, in the form of tablets,capsules, pills, dragees, cones, salves, gels, creams, powders, dustingpowders, aerosols or in liquid form. As liquid forms of use, there comeinto question, for example: oily or alcoholic or aqueous solutions, aswell as suspensions and emulsions. Preferred forms of use are tabletswhich contain between 0.1% to 5% of active substance.

The individual dose of hexadecylphosphocholine can, for example, lie

(a) in the case of oral medicinal forms between 5-100 mg./kg. bodyweight, preferably 15-50 mg./kg. body weight,

(b) in the case of parenteral medicinal forms (for example intravenous,intramuscular) between 5-100 m./kg. body weight,

(c) in the case of medicinal forms for local administration to the skinor mucous membranes (for example in the form of solutions, lotions,emulsions, salves and so forth) between 50-2000 mg., preferably 80-1500mg.

For example, 1 tablet with a content of 40-400 mg. of active substancecan be recommended 3 times daily or, for example, in the case ofintravenous injection, 1-5 times daily an ampoule of 1-5 ml. contentwith 50-250 mg. of substance. In the case of oral administration, theminimum daily dose lies, for example, at 120 mg.; the maximum daily dosein the case of oral administration is not to lie above 100 mg./kg.

The acute toxicity of hexadecylphosphocholine in the mouse (expressed bythe LD 50 mg./kg.; method according to Miller and Tainter, Proc. Soc.,Exper. Biol. a. Med. 57 (1944) 261) lies, for example, in the case oforal administration, between 200 and 450 mg./kg. body weight.

The medicaments can be used in human medicine, in veterinary medicine,as well as in agriculture, alone or in admixture with otherpharmaceutically active materials.

The invention is explained by the following Examples.

EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of hexadecylphosphocholine.H₂ O

(a) Hexadecylphosphoethanolamine (phosphorylation, ring closure and ringopening)

Hexadecanol (1 mole, 243 g.) and triethylamine (1.8 mole, 180 g.) aredissolved in 1.5 l. THF (tetrahydrofuran) and added dropwise to avigorously stirred solution of phosphorus oxychloride (1.2 mole, 184 g.)in 120 ml. THF in such a manner that the temperature in the reactionvessel (three-necked, 5 l., with dropping funnel, thermometer andstirrer) does not exceed 10° C. For the acceleration of the procedure,the reaction vessel is cooled with an ice-salt mixture. Immediatelyafter the dropping in, the reaction is terminated (detection via TLC inether: Rf values of 0.8 for the starting product, of 0.0 for thereaction product after hydrolysis with water).

One removes the ice bath and drops into the reaction mixture, withvigorous stirring, a solution of ethanolamine (1.5 mole, 92 g.) andtriethylamine (1.8 mole, 180 g.) in 1 l. dioxan in such a manner thatthe temperature in the reaction vessel increases to 65° to 70° C. Thering formation is then concluded (detection by TLC in ether: Rf value of0.2). One filters off from precipitated triethylamine hydrochloridewhile still warm and mixes the filtrate at 40° to 50° C. with 1.5 l. 2Nformic acid. After 15 minutes, the ring opening is concluded (detectionof TLC in ether: Rf value 0.0; TLC in chloroform/methanol/aceticacid/water 100:60:20:5 in vol.: Rf value 0.8). One cools to -20° C.,filters off the precipitate which consists substantially of purehexadecylphosphoethanolamine. In the case of slight impurities, achromatographic purification is carried out (see Example 2).Microanalysis (M.W. 365.50):

    ______________________________________                                        calc. (%):                                                                              C 59.15  H 11.03   N 3.83  P 8.48                                   found (%):                                                                              59.01    10.95     3.79    8.31                                     ______________________________________                                    

(b) (Methylation of 1)

The crystals obtained according to Example 1 are, without furtherpurification, taken up in 1.2 l. 2-propanol and 0.4 l. dichloromethane.One mixes the suspension of the crystals, with vigorous stirring, withpotassium carbonate (4 mole, 560 g.) in 1 l. of water. The two-phasereaction mixture is mixed dropwise and while stirring with dimethylsulphate (4 mole, 500 g.) in such a manner that the temperature does notexceed 40° C. The reaction is ended 60 minutes after the dropping in(detection by TLC in chloroform/methanol/25% ammonia 59:50:5 in vol.; Rfvalue 0.3). After phase separation at 20° C., the upper phase containsthe product. One removes the solvent on a rotary evaporator under vacuumand chromatographs the viscous residue on silica gel (Merck Art. 7733,silica gel 60, grain size 0.2 to 0.5 mm.).

Chromatograph

Silica gel, 2 kg., are mixed with chloroform/methanol/25% ammonia(200/15/1 in vol.) and filled into a chromatography column. One dissolvethe viscous oil in 800 ml. of above solvent mixture and applies thecrude product to the column (insoluble components are previouslyfiltered off). One elutes with elution agents of increasing polarityuntil the impurities are washed out. The product is finally eluted withchloroform/methanol/25% ammonia (50/50/5 in vol.). The combined eluatesare rotary evaporated and the residual water removed with toluene. Theresidue is taken up in 600 ml. dichloromethane and mixed with 4 l. ofacetone. The crystals which separate out at -20° C. are washed with coldacetone, then with pentane and dried in a vacuum. The yield of purehexadecylphosphocholine amounts of 250 g. (about 70% referred tohexadecylglycerol).

    ______________________________________                                        Microanalysis (M.W. 407.58)                                                              C    H          N      P                                           ______________________________________                                        calc. (%):   59.27  11.37      3.29 7.28                                      found (%):   58.98  11.31      3.21 7.11                                      ______________________________________                                    

Examples for pharmaceutical compositions

Example for a solution:

25 g. 1-n-propoxy-2,3-propanediol, 12.5 g, 1-n-hexyloxy-2,3-propanediol,12.5 g. 1-n-nonyloxy-2,3-propanediol, 44 g. water and 1 g.phenoxyethanol are mixed and 5 g. hexadecylphosphocholine dissolved inthis mixture. The solution is freed from visible particles by filtrationover a suitable filter.

1 g. of solution contains 50 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine.

Example for a salve:

5 g. of substance hexadecylphosphocholine are suspended in 35 g. veryviscous paraffin, 30 g. emulsifying cetyl stearyl alcohol and 30 g.white vaseline are added thereto and melted. This melt is stirred untilcold. A homogeneous active material distribution is achieved by workingup of the cooled melt by means of a suitable homogenisation apparatus(for example a three-roll mill).

1 g. of the hydrophilic salt contains 50 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine.

Example for an emulsion:

11.83 g. 1-n-propyloxy-2,3-propanediol, 5.91 g.1-n-hexyloxy-2,3-propanediol, 5.91 g. 1-n-nonyloxy-2,3-propanediol,20.35 g. water and 1.0 g. phenoxyethanol are mixed and 5 g.hexadecylphosphocholine dissolved in this mixture. On a waterbath, 30 g.white vaseline, 15 g. cetyl alcohol and 5 g. sorbitan monopalmitate aremelted, heated to 70° C. and the active material solution, also heatedto 70° C., emulsified in the fat phase with the help of a high-speeddispersion apparatus. Subsequently, the cream is cooled to 30° C. whilestirring.

1 g. of water-in-oil cream contains 50 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine.

Example for capsules:

1.25 kg. hexadecylphosphocholine are dissolved in 5 kg. chloroform and1.25 kg. Aerosil suspended in this solution. Subsequently, the solventis stripped off in a vacuum. The dry mass is passed through a 1 mm.sieve and again dried in a vacuum at 30° C. in order to remove lastresidues of solvent. This granulate is filled in known manner on asuitable capsuling machine into hard gelatine capsules of the size 00 inan amount of 500 mg.

One capsule contains 250 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine.

Example for a lyophilisate:

In 3 liters of water for injection purposes are dissolved, with nitrogengassing, 500 g. mannitol, 50 g. hexadecylphosphocholine are dispersedwith the help of a high-speed homogenising apparatus and made up to 4liters with water for injection purposes. This milky dispersion isconverted into a slightly opalescing, colloid-disperse system byultrasonic treatment or with the help of a slot homogeniser.

Under aseptic conditions, it is now sterile filtered over a membranefilter of 0.22 μm. pore width and filled in 40 ml. amounts into 100 ml.injection bottles with nitrogen gassing. One provides the bottles withfreeze-drying stoppers and lyophilises in a suitable plant. After thedrying, it is gassed with sterile, dry nitrogen and the bottles closedin the plant. The stoppers are secured with a flanged cap.

For intravenous use, the lyophilisate is reconstituted in 100 ml. waterfor injection purposes. 1 Bottle contains 500 mg.hexadecylphosphocholine.

I claim:
 1. Composition useful in treating cancer comprising atherapeutically effective amount of hexadecylphosphocholine and analkylglycerol of the formula ##STR2## wherein one of R₁ and R₂ is analkyl group with 2 to 12 C-atoms and the other radical an H-atom. 2.Composition of claim 1, comprising an alkylglycerol mixture of nonyl- oroctylglycerol, hexyl- or pentylglycerol and propyl- or ethylglycerol. 3.Composition of claim 1, comprising from 5 to 2000 mg.hexadecylphosphocholine.
 4. Composition of claim 1, comprising 5 to 200mg. of hexadecylphosphocholine per ml. of alkylglycerol.
 5. Compositionof claim 1, comprising between 5 and 100 mg. of hexadecylphosphocholine.6. Method for treating a cancer selected from the group consisting ofmammary carcinoma and leukemia comprising administering to a patientwith one of said cancers a therapeutically effective amount of acomposition containing hexadecylphosphocholine and at least onealkylglycerol of formula ##STR3## wherein one of R₁ and R₂ is an alkylgroup with 2 to 12 C-atoms and the other radical is an H atom.
 7. Methodof claim 6, wherein said composition contains a mixture of nonyl oroctylglycerol, hexyl or pentylglycerol, and propyl or ethylglycerol. 8.Method of claim 6, wherein said composition contains 5 to 2000 mg.hexadecylphosphocholine.
 9. Method of claim 6, wherein said compositioncontains from 5 to 200 mg. hexadecylphosphocholine per ml. oralkylglycerol.
 10. Method of claim 6, wherein said composition isadministered in a drinking solution.
 11. Method of claim 10, whereinsaid solution contains from 5 to 100 mg. of composition per kilogram ofbody weight of the patient to which said solution is administered. 12.Method of claim 6, wherein said composition is administered inintravenous form.
 13. Method of claim 12, wherein said composition isadministered at a dosage of from 5 to 100 mg. per kilogram of bodyweight of the patient to which it is administered.